TNF MAIN / COLLABORATIVE POST
Michigan on the main account
A shared carousel from @thenorthface, @iceclimbing and @thenorthface_climb.
View postCOMMERCIAL CASE STUDY / THE NORTH FACE
Beyond
the festival.
MICHIGAN ICE FEST
MUNISING, MICHIGAN
Athlete photography, reel clips and content distribution.
From the ice to The North Face’s channels while the festival was happening.
BRAND / EVENT
The North Face
Michigan Ice Fest
LOCATION
Munising & Grand Island
Michigan
MY ROLE
Photography, reel clips
& content distribution
REPORTED VIEWS
6 million
My festival reels & carousels
01 / THE BRIEF
Brand assets.
Festival momentum.
The North Face was a sponsor of Michigan Ice Fest in Munising. My work combined athlete photography and reel clips with distribution through my own ice climbing platforms.
The deliverables gave TNF images to publish on its main account, alongside content shared in real time with @thenorthface_climb during the festival, including stories. My own reels and carousels brought the climbing to audiences following @iceclimbing.
See the Michigan destination storySAM ELIAS / DAIRYLANDMichigan Ice Fest
02 / GRAND ISLAND
A rare window
across the lake.
Frozen lake conditions opened up a rare opportunity to photograph Jackson Marvell and Conrad Anker climbing on Grand Island.
We travelled out on two sleds with TNF athlete manager Justin. The access was a defining part of the trip, bringing us to the ice curtains and pillars at Trout Bay and elsewhere on Grand Island.
CONRAD ANKER & JACKSON MARVELL / GRAND ISLANDTrout Bay, Michigan
03 / THE ATHLETES & THE PLACE
Different climbs.
One connected story.
Sam Elias on Dairyland. Jackson Marvell and Conrad Anker on Grand Island. Conrad on a separate climb. Matt Segal on Resurrection.
At Tiger Country Wall, I photographed Matt on Resurrection, one of the area’s most photogenic ice settings. The collection moves between close action, athlete portraits and wide views that show the character of the climbing around Munising.
MATT SEGAL / RESURRECTIONTiger Country Wall
04 / THE DELIVERY & DISTRIBUTION
Shared in the moment.
Ready for the next post.
Real time sharing during the festival. Early deliverables within 24 hours. The main batch within 48 hours for TNF’s native post.
TNF used images on its main North Face account and shared content with @thenorthface_climb as the festival unfolded. On my own channels, the festival reels and carousels generated a reported 6 million views.
EARLY DELIVERYWithin 24 hours
MAIN BATCHWithin 48 hours
MY FESTIVAL REELS & CAROUSELS6 million views
Festival view total reported by Tim Banfield. Views are an aggregate count across the reels and carousels, rather than unique viewers.
CONRAD ANKER & MATT SEGALMichigan ice climbing
DISTRIBUTION / THE NORTH FACE
From the shoot.
Onto the brand’s channels.
The work appeared on The North Face’s main and climbing channels, including a collaborative carousel with my @iceclimbing account.
Screenshots from the campaign deck. Open each original post to see the content on Instagram.
SELECTED CONTENT PERFORMANCE
The work in circulation.
Saved view counts from selected Michigan content. These captures do not identify the individual publishing accounts. They are separate from the linked TNF posts above and are not added together.
All counts shown reflect the saved screenshots, rather than live results or unique viewers.
05 / CAMPAIGN USE
A life beyond
the shoot.
Photographs from this shoot were selected for Michigan Ice Fest’s 2027 marketing.
These two layouts show the planned Alpinist advertisements, featuring Matt Segal on Resurrection and Jackson Marvell at Trout Bay. The images continue the campaign story beyond the original festival coverage.
Photography from my work for The North Face also appears on the cover and inside the new Michigan Ice Fest program, including the opening interior page. The same shoot now supports the festival’s printed program as well as its social and advertising content.
Michigan Ice Fest 2027 · Planned Alpinist ad
Michigan Ice Fest 2027 · Planned Alpinist ad
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL / MICHIGAN ICE FEST
In the festival’s words.
For years we have hired Tim Banfield, a professional photographer to capture stunning images and video to help promote and market the festival not only locally but internationally as well. With his unique skills set, he plays a vital role in the Michigan Ice Fest by capturing the adventure of climbing high above Lake Superior, and the community that makes the event so special. His high-quality images showcase our sponsors’ products, athlete partnerships, and brand visibility across social media, websites, promotional materials, and future event campaigns. These images provide lasting marketing value for both Michigan Ice Fest and our sponsors, extending their reach well beyond the festival itself. By promoting our photographers, we also help connect sponsors and other businesses with talented professionals whose work can support their future marketing, advertising, and outdoor industry projects. Tim is a valued member of our Ice Fest family and highly respected in the climbing community.
Bill ThompsonMichigan Ice Fest Director
THE SELECT / MICHIGAN ICE FEST
More from Michigan.
Explore the photographs
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